SAN DIEGO -- If you hadn’t already given up on the 2013 Phillies, this one might have pushed you over the edge.

In what may have been the worst loss in a season that has already included way too many ugly defeats, the Phillies blew a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning and went on to lose 4-3 to the San Diego Padres in the bottom of the 10th inning Monday night (see Instant Replay).

Cliff Lee was masterful for eight innings, but his gem began to unravel in the span of three pitches in the ninth. In the blink of an eye, Jonathan Papelbon allowed a two-run single and hit a batter and Carlos Ruiz was charged with a game-tying passed ball with two outs. The ugliness continued in the bottom of the 10th when Justin De Fratus walked two batters and hit another to set up the game-winning hit by Kyle Blanks, the same guy who drove in two with a single against Papelbon in the ninth.

The loss dropped the Phillies to five games under .500, matching a season low, and left manager Charlie Manuel searching for answers as he nursed a monster head cold/ear infection that required medical attention earlier in the day.

“It’s tough,” he said. “That’s a tough one.”

Manuel’s voice, raspy and weak, trailed off.

“We’re supposed to win the game,” he said.

This one?

Yep.

Lee was at 109 pitches and Papelbon was warm in the bullpen when Manuel stuck with the left-hander to open the bottom of the ninth with his team up, 3-0. Three pitches in, the Padres had runners at second and third thanks to a single and a double and Manuel was on his way to the mound to get Lee.

It’s always a little easier for a reliever to enter a clean inning. Why didn’t Manuel go to Papelbon to start the frame?

“I wanted to send Lee back out there,” Manuel said. “Pap had a lot of work last week and Lee was pitching a good game. I was waging a lot of things. But evidently I didn’t make the right choice.”

Papelbon’s fourth blown save in eight days became official when Ruiz could not handle a 2-0 splitter with two outs and Mark Kotsay at the plate. The passed ball allowed Blanks to score the tying run from third.

Ruiz said the pitch was one he should have caught.

“(Bleep) happens,” said Papelbon, using an expression that might be a good title for this season’s highlight video.

The tying run was unearned.

“A blown save is a blown save no matter which way you look at it,” Papelbon said.

This one was particularly difficult because it came on a night when Lee pitched so well. He carried a shutout into the ninth and ended up allowing two runs and a walk while striking out seven.

Lee contributed to the ninth-inning unraveling by allowing a single and a double on the first three pitches he threw in the inning.

“I wanted to stay in the game and I’m glad I got the chance,” he said. “I felt like I made good pitches (in the ninth). They just put good swings on them.

“I don’t know what to say. I felt like I pitched a good game and gave us a chance to win. It just didn’t happen.”

The Phillies entered the game with the worst bullpen ERA (4.67) in the majors and lived up to it with Papelbon and De Fratus combining on three walks and two hit batsmen in 1 1/3 innings.

De Fratus called the loss “heartbreaking” because of the way Lee pitched.

“It just fell apart at the end,” De Fratus said. “It’s tough.”

A loss Tuesday night would put the Phils a season-high six games under .500. The Phils are 17-23 on the road with nine more games left on this trip.